Almond Trees

How to choose an almond tree

The All-In-One Almond Tree is a self fertile, semi dwarf variety, so a single tree crops alone. It grows to about four to five metres and carries soft shelled, sweet nuts from late summer into early autumn. The Dwarf Almond Tree is a compact tree of about two to two and a half metres that suits a large pot or a small yard, and another almond nearby improves its crop. The Sweet Almond Tree is the traditional choice for a larger garden or a home orchard, where a second almond planted close by helps pollination.

The Double Pink Flowering Almond is an ornamental tree, grown for double pink blossom on bare branches in late winter and early spring rather than for nuts. It reaches three to four metres, and budded branches can be cut for a vase.

Where almonds grow

Almonds are trees of dry summer climates with a cold winter. They do well in Mediterranean, inland and cool to warm temperate gardens, where winter chill sets the flower buds and a dry spring and summer keeps the blossom and the ripening nuts free of disease. They do poorly in humid subtropical gardens, where summer rain brings fungal problems and the nut set is light. Late frost can damage the blossom, so avoid frost hollows and choose a spot with good air movement.

Give them full sun and open ground. For companions, see our fruit trees, the wider range of edible plants and, for more spring blossom, the flowering cherries and plums.

Planting and spacing

Plant in winter or early spring in deep, well drained soil. Almonds dislike wet feet, so on heavy clay plant on a broad mound. Space full sized trees five to six metres apart, semi dwarf trees about four metres, and dwarf trees two to three metres. In a pot, use a container at least fifty centimetres across filled with a good potting mix. Mulch the root zone and keep the mulch clear of the trunk.

Care basics

Water young trees regularly through their first two summers. Established trees are drought tolerant, but steady water from flowering until the hulls split fills the kernels. Feed in early spring with a fruit tree fertiliser. Prune in winter to an open vase shape, removing crossing and crowded branches so air and light reach the centre.

Harvest when the hulls split and the nuts shake free, then dry them in their shells for a week or two in an airy place before storing. Birds, especially parrots, find the nuts early, so net the tree as the hulls begin to open. The almond tree growing guide covers pollination, pruning and harvest in full.

Common questions

Do I need two almond trees?

A self fertile variety such as All-In-One crops alone. Other almonds set more nuts with a second almond flowering nearby.

Can almonds grow in humid, subtropical gardens?

Not well. They need winter chill and a dry summer, and in humid areas they suffer fungal disease and set few nuts.

How long until an almond tree bears nuts?

Usually three to four years from planting, with crops building as the tree matures.

Does the Double Pink Flowering Almond produce nuts?

It is grown for its blossom. Treat any nuts as incidental, and choose a fruiting variety if you want a harvest.